Corporations, Super PAC Donors Funded Republican National Convention In Tampa

Source: Huffington Post

WASHINGTON -- The Republican National Convention in Tampa, where former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney accepted the presidential nomination of the Republican Party, was funded by a collection of corporations and mega-donors instrumental in funding super PACs and "dark money" non-profits to help put Romney in the White House.

The convention committee raised a total of $55 million for the four-day long proceedings, according to a report filed on Wednesday. Corporations accounted for the majority of that with $32.6 million in direct contributions. Wealthy individuals, including some of most well-known super PAC and "dark money" non-profit donors, contributed $13 million. In-kind contributions by corporations accounted for the other $10 million.

The top corporate donor was Marketing Solution Publications, a Florida-based business run by financier William Edwards, with $4 million in contributions. Of the more than $3 million given by AT&T half came from direct contributions. The American Petroleum Institute, the top lobby shop for the oil and gas industry, gave more than $2 million. Half of Microsoft's $1.5 million came from direct contributions. Bank of America and Florida Power & Light each donated $1 million in direct contributions.

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The single biggest donor to the convention was not, however, a corporation. It was instead the single biggest known donor to outside efforts to elect Romney president, Las Vegas casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, who has reportedly contributed at least $71 million to super PACs and non-profits that do not disclose their donors. Adelson, the twelfth richest man in America, chipped in $5 million to the convention committee that organized and planned the four-day proceedings.

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